Nutella turns 50 this year. Dany Mitzman delved into the history of the most glorious of chocolate hazelnut spreads:

• 365 million kilos of Nutella are consumed every year – that’s about the weight of the Empire State Building.
• It was created in a region of Italy famed for its chocolate and hazelnuts. Others had put the two together before, but it usually contained a lot of chocolate which was too expensive for the common person at the time.
• The first version of the hazelnut heavy Nutella was sold as a loaf wrapped in aluminum foil. Consumers would shave off slices of it with a knife.
• The first spreadable version was launched a few years later and this helped make it popular since customers could more easily make a small amount go a long way. It was no longer just for special occasions.
• Nutella was first called “Giandujot” the name was changed to Nutella – “-ella” is an affectionate suffix attached to other popular Italian foods such as mozzarella or caramella.
• The company behind Nutella today buys 25% of the world’s hazelnuts – more than any other single buyer.
• It is seen as a pop-lux product. It’s luxurious but not too expensive for commoners. This is epitomized by the glass jar which indicates class, and a plastic cap that conveys common familiarity.
• Its success is also down to marketing. It advertises its hazelnut and milk ingredients while avoiding mentioning that over 50% of it is sugar.

Read more about Nutella, its founder, the progeny who still runs the company, and more over here.

Source: BBC